Hello everyone!
This is my first time posting on here. This seems like a really cool site, especially for someone like myself who has played a bit but still has some of those "dumb" questions. Anyways here's my problem. I'm now 9 months in to playing guitar. For my first 4 months I had weekly lessons which helped me a great deal then my teacher left. For the last 5 months I've been going at it alone and practicing lots after work. I love putting in the work my question is what should I be doing now. I get tabs online and from my monthly Guitar World magazine and try to learn them as best as as I can. I can play songs with simple solos like Smells Like Teen Spirit and things of that nature but when it gets to the more advanced songs it's going at a turtle's pace. I know how difficult playing is and I know that I shouldn't be trying to work on Jimi Hendrix type stuff but I want to push myself. My teacher always taught me lessons through learning songs since he said that "every song has their own lessons inside of them." I agree with this zen like statement but I also wonder if banging away at new song tabs is making the most of my practice time. I feel like I need more technique based things to do yet there are many people who just learned how to play by learning songs. What should I be doing now? I love to play I just don't want to be wasting my time and stunting my growth as a player when I could be doing more constructive things. Any suggestions?
Hi,
welcome to the forums, and great post and questions. Have a look at this page for some practice tips - https://www.guitarnoise.com/tag/practice-tips/
One way to structure practicing on your own is to divide the - let's say - 1hr session into different parts. You could spend 10min learning and playing scales, then do some picking exercises, work on arpeggios, learn fingerpicking, review old songs, learn new songs, spend time studying soloing techniques like hammer, pull-off, bend, slide etc....
From my own experience it also helps to set yourself daily/weekly/monthly goals - this helps to get and stay focused and track your progress. Get a metronome and use it to increase your playing speed.
Learning guitar is at times a huge challenge because there are potentially so many different styles, techniques etc that one would like to master at the same time - so it helps to spend a bit of time planning out your course of 'attack'. Good luck.
Thanks! There's some great info there. Goal setting is always a good one because then you have something measurable. This is a great forum I must say. It feels completely non-judgemental. It's good to find a site where people remember that they didn't start off playing Eddie Van Halen solos after 1 week and that what you play doesn't matter. Well done guys!
Learning techniques via learning songs is perfectly valid. It gives you motivation to learn and use the technique for something, not just learning it for it's own sake.
Take a look at the top of this page, where it says Easy Songs for Beginners and Intermediate Songs.
That's as good a source as any I've found for song lessons with a heaping helping of technique thrown in.
I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep
I can't offer any suggestions on WHAT to learn, but I do have a bias. I've been playing for 6 years and roughly a year off. I remember sending an email to the GN editor Mr. Hodge when I had been playing just 4 months. I was so into "what should I do." And, at the time, I was so juiced to learn all the tricks, tips, and whatever.
I believe I was advised that playing guitar isn't a sprint, rather, a marathon. I totally understand your wicked desire to do everything right now. I really, really do.
Yet I've learned to treat time on guitar as if you will play until you are 90-years-old. Does it sound like someone who is "too out of touch and can't possibly know how I want to progress NOW?" Yep.
Is it the truth? Well, there are many more elder guitar players on this site who may say "yep." Nevertheless, I certainly don't make light of your question or situation, but at least think about it. You WILL play for life, right?
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
I believe I was advised that playing guitar isn't a sprint, rather, a marathon. I totally understand your wicked desire to do everything right now. I really, really do.
Yet I've learned to treat time on guitar as if you will play until you are 90-years-old. Does it sound like someone who is "too out of touch and can't possibly know how I want to progress NOW?" Yep.
Is it the truth? Well, there are many more elder guitar players on this site who may say "yep." Nevertheless, I certainly don't make light of your question or situation, but at least think about it. You WILL play for life, right?
You certainly are wise fer a young whippersnapper. I've had a guitar in my hands since I was 8 years old. That will be 44 years ago in June.
Playing guitar and never playing for others is like studying medicine and never working in a clinic.
